pydata · dcherian · Mar 30, 2021 · Mar 5, 2021 · Mar 5, 2021 · Mar 5, 2021
diff --git a/doc/api.rst b/doc/api.rst
@@ -243,6 +243,7 @@ Plotting
 
    Dataset.plot.scatter
    Dataset.plot.quiver
+   Dataset.plot.streamplot
 
 DataArray
 =========

diff --git a/doc/user-guide/plotting.rst b/doc/user-guide/plotting.rst
@@ -787,6 +787,26 @@ where ``u`` and ``v`` denote the x and y direction components of the arrow vecto
 
 ``scale`` is required for faceted quiver plots. The scale determines the number of data units per arrow length unit, i.e. a smaller scale parameter makes the arrow longer.
 
+Streamplot
+~~~~~~~~~~
+
+Visualizing vector fields is also supported with streamline plots:
+
+.. ipython:: python
+    :okwarning:
+
+    @savefig ds_simple_streamplot.png
+    ds.isel(w=1, z=1).plot.streamplot(x="x", y="y", u="A", v="B")
+
+
+where ``u`` and ``v`` denote the x and y direction components of the vectors tangent to the streamlines. Again, faceting is also possible:
+
+.. ipython:: python
+    :okwarning:
+
+    @savefig ds_facet_streamplot.png
+    ds.plot.streamplot(x="x", y="y", u="A", v="B", col="w", row="z")
+
 .. _plot-maps:
 
 Maps

diff --git a/doc/whats-new.rst b/doc/whats-new.rst
@@ -31,6 +31,9 @@ New Features
 - Support for `dask.graph_manipulation
   <https://docs.dask.org/en/latest/graph_manipulation.html>`_ (requires dask >=2021.3)
   By `Guido Imperiale <https://github.com/crusaderky>`_
+- Add :py:meth:`Dataset.plot.streamplot` for streamplot plots with :py:class:`Dataset`
+  variables (:pull:`5003`).
+  By `John Omotani <https://github.com/johnomotani>`_.
 - Many of the arguments for the :py:attr:`DataArray.str` methods now support
   providing an array-like input. In this case, the array provided to the
   arguments is broadcast against the original array and applied elementwise.

diff --git a/xarray/plot/dataset_plot.py b/xarray/plot/dataset_plot.py
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@ def _infer_meta_data(ds, x, y, hue, hue_style, add_guide, funcname):
             add_colorbar = False
             add_legend = False
     else:
-        if add_guide is True and funcname != "quiver":
+        if add_guide is True and funcname not in ("quiver", "streamplot"):
             raise ValueError("Cannot set add_guide when hue is None.")
         add_legend = False
         add_colorbar = False
@@ -62,11 +62,23 @@ def _infer_meta_data(ds, x, y, hue, hue_style, add_guide, funcname):
                 hue_style = "continuous"
             elif hue_style != "continuous":
                 raise ValueError(
-                    "hue_style must be 'continuous' or None for .plot.quiver"
+                    "hue_style must be 'continuous' or None for .plot.quiver or "
+                    ".plot.streamplot"
                 )
     else:
         add_quiverkey = False
 
+    if (add_guide or add_guide is None) and funcname == "streamplot":
+        if hue:
+            add_colorbar = True
+            if not hue_style:
+                hue_style = "continuous"
+            elif hue_style != "continuous":
+                raise ValueError(
+                    "hue_style must be 'continuous' or None for .plot.quiver or "
+                    ".plot.streamplot"
+                )
+
     if hue_style is not None and hue_style not in ["discrete", "continuous"]:
         raise ValueError("hue_style must be either None, 'discrete' or 'continuous'.")
 
@@ -186,7 +198,7 @@ def _dsplot(plotfunc):
     x, y : str
         Variable names for x, y axis.
     u, v : str, optional
-        Variable names for quiver plots
+        Variable names for quiver or streamplot plots
     hue: str, optional
         Variable by which to color scattered points
     hue_style: str, optional
@@ -338,8 +350,11 @@ def newplotfunc(
         else:
             cmap_params_subset = {}
 
-        if (u is not None or v is not None) and plotfunc.__name__ != "quiver":
-            raise ValueError("u, v are only allowed for quiver plots.")
+        if (u is not None or v is not None) and plotfunc.__name__ not in (
+            "quiver",
+            "streamplot",
+        ):
+            raise ValueError("u, v are only allowed for quiver or streamplot plots.")
 
         primitive = plotfunc(
             ds=ds,
@@ -383,7 +398,7 @@ def newplotfunc(
                 coordinates="figure",
             )
 
-        if plotfunc.__name__ == "quiver":
+        if plotfunc.__name__ in ("quiver", "streamplot"):
             title = ds[u]._title_for_slice()
         else:
             title = ds[x]._title_for_slice()
@@ -526,3 +541,54 @@ def quiver(ds, x, y, ax, u, v, **kwargs):
     kwargs.setdefault("pivot", "middle")
     hdl = ax.quiver(*args, **kwargs, **cmap_params)
     return hdl
+
+
+@_dsplot
+def streamplot(ds, x, y, ax, u, v, **kwargs):
+    """ Quiver plot with Dataset variables."""
+    import matplotlib as mpl
+
+    if x is None or y is None or u is None or v is None:
+        raise ValueError("Must specify x, y, u, v for streamplot plots.")
+
+    # Matplotlib's streamplot has strong restrictions on what x and y can be, so need to
+    # get arrays transposed the 'right' way around. 'x' cannot vary within 'rows', so
+    # the dimension of x must be the second dimension. 'y' cannot vary with 'columns' so
+    # the dimension of y must be the first dimension. If x and y are both 2d, assume the
+    # user has got them right already.
+    if len(ds[x].dims) == 1:
+        xdim = ds[x].dims[0]
+    if len(ds[y].dims) == 1:
+        ydim = ds[y].dims[0]
+    if xdim is not None and ydim is None:
+        ydim = set(ds[y].dims) - set([xdim])
+    if ydim is not None and xdim is None:
+        xdim = set(ds[x].dims) - set([ydim])
+
+    x, y, u, v = broadcast(ds[x], ds[y], ds[u], ds[v])
+
+    if xdim is not None and ydim is not None:
+        # Need to ensure the arrays are transposed correctly
+        x = x.transpose(ydim, xdim)
+        y = y.transpose(ydim, xdim)
+        u = u.transpose(ydim, xdim)
+        v = v.transpose(ydim, xdim)
+
+    args = [x.values, y.values, u.values, v.values]
+    hue = kwargs.pop("hue")
+    cmap_params = kwargs.pop("cmap_params")
+
+    if hue:
+        kwargs["color"] = ds[hue].values
+
+        # TODO: Fix this by always returning a norm with vmin, vmax in cmap_params
+        if not cmap_params["norm"]:
+            cmap_params["norm"] = mpl.colors.Normalize(
+                cmap_params.pop("vmin"), cmap_params.pop("vmax")
+            )
+
+    kwargs.pop("hue_style")
+    hdl = ax.streamplot(*args, **kwargs, **cmap_params)
+
+    # Return .lines so colorbar creation works properly
+    return hdl.lines
diff --git a/xarray/tests/test_plot.py b/xarray/tests/test_plot.py
@@ -2212,6 +2212,61 @@ def test_facetgrid(self):
             self.ds.plot.quiver(x="x", y="y", u="u", v="v", row="row", col="col")
 
 
+@requires_matplotlib
+class TestDatasetStreamplotPlots(PlotTestCase):
+    @pytest.fixture(autouse=True)
+    def setUp(self):
+        das = [
+            DataArray(
+                np.random.randn(3, 3, 2, 2),
+                dims=["x", "y", "row", "col"],
+                coords=[range(k) for k in [3, 3, 2, 2]],
+            )
+            for _ in [1, 2]
+        ]
+        ds = Dataset({"u": das[0], "v": das[1]})
+        ds.x.attrs["units"] = "xunits"
+        ds.y.attrs["units"] = "yunits"
+        ds.col.attrs["units"] = "colunits"
+        ds.row.attrs["units"] = "rowunits"
+        ds.u.attrs["units"] = "uunits"
+        ds.v.attrs["units"] = "vunits"
+        ds["mag"] = np.hypot(ds.u, ds.v)
+        self.ds = ds
+
+    def test_streamline(self):
+        with figure_context():
+            hdl = self.ds.isel(row=0, col=0).plot.streamplot(x="x", y="y", u="u", v="v")
+            assert isinstance(hdl, mpl.collections.LineCollection)
+        with raises_regex(ValueError, "specify x, y, u, v"):
+            self.ds.isel(row=0, col=0).plot.streamplot(x="x", y="y", u="u")
+
+        with raises_regex(ValueError, "hue_style"):
+            self.ds.isel(row=0, col=0).plot.streamplot(
+                x="x", y="y", u="u", v="v", hue="mag", hue_style="discrete"
+            )
+
+    def test_facetgrid(self):
+        with figure_context():
+            fg = self.ds.plot.streamplot(
+                x="x", y="y", u="u", v="v", row="row", col="col", hue="mag"
+            )
+            for handle in fg._mappables:
+                assert isinstance(handle, mpl.collections.LineCollection)
+
+        with figure_context():
+            fg = self.ds.plot.streamplot(
+                x="x",
+                y="y",
+                u="u",
+                v="v",
+                row="row",
+                col="col",
+                hue="mag",
+                add_guide=False,
+            )
+
+
 @requires_matplotlib
 class TestDatasetScatterPlots(PlotTestCase):
     @pytest.fixture(autouse=True)